Apparatus for making gas



(No Model.)

H. D. FITCH.

APPARATUS FOR MAKING GAS. No. 271,231. Patented Jan. 30,1883.

- A A i V w i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY D. FITCH, OF LEBANON, KENTUCKY.

APPARATUS FORMAKlNG GAS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 271,231, dated January30, 1883.

Application filed May 24, 1882. -(No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, HENRY D. FITCH, of Lebanon, in the county of Marionand State of Kentucky, have inyented certain new and useful Improvementsin Apparatus for Making Gas; and Ido hereby declare the following to hea full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and usethe same.

My invention relates to an improvement in gas retorts and settings, theobject of the same being to provide a retort or series of retortsadapted to be reversed or turned upside down, so as to present the topor upper surface of the retort or retorts to the action of the fire whenthe lower side or sidesthereof begin to burn.

A further object of my invention is to pro vide means whereby entranceis gained to the interior of the retorts for the purpose of removing thefixed carbon and other dbris without removing or disturbing theoil-inlet or the gas-outlet.

A further object of my invention is to provide means for removablyholding the retorts in position, so as to enable them to be removed forthe purpose'ot' turning them, or for any other purpose; and with theseends in View my invention consists. in certain details in constructionand combination of parts, as will be more fully described, and pointedout in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front view of my improvedgenerator, showing a bench of four retorts; and Fig. 2 is a verticallongitudinal sectional view of the same.

The furnace or generator in which my improvements are placed can beconstructed of masonry or any other suitable material, and consists ofan upper or heating chamber, A, in which the retort B rests, thefire-box G, and theash-pit D, the said tire-box and ash-pit beingprovided with suitable doors, by means of which fuel is introduced intothe furnace and the ashes removed therefrom. The retorts B are madeofcastmetal, preferably ofthe oblong form shown, so as to enable them tobe reversed or turned top side down, as will hereinafter be described,and each retort is provided at oppositeends withfouropenings,(twoateachend,)E E E E the openings E being for the passage of the oil intothe retorts, the openings E being for the exit of gas from the retort,while the two lower openings, E and E which are situated near the loweredge of theretort, are for thepurpose of gaining access into theinterior thereof for the purpose of removing the fixed carbon and otherdebris. The two lower openings, E and E are adapted to be closed by thescrewthreaded plugs F, which latter are removed when it is desired toclean out the retorts, When it becomes necessary to turn the retort forany purpose whatever, the two openings E and E would act respectively asoil-inlet and gas-outlet, while the two openings E E would be closed bythe stoppers. The abovearrangement of openings serves a twofoldpurposeviz.,to enable the oil-inlet and gas-outlet connections or pipesto be quickly connected to the retorts when the latter are turnedwithout changing or altering their structure, and also enable theinterior of the-retorts to be reached without disconnecting theabove-mentioned pipes.

When it is desired to clean out the retorts' now in common use, it isnecessary to remove either the oil-inlet and gas-outlet pipes, or both,to get at the deposited carbon; but this is objectionable for the reasonthat by the constant unscrewing of the inlet and outlet pipes thethreads thereof soon become worn and useless, and consequentlyrender newpipes necessary; but by my improvement, when the threads of thescrew-plugs F become worn, new plugs can be substituted in a short spaceof time at a slight cost. i

'In the drawings I have shown a bench of four retorts placed side byside, with suitable spaces between them for the free passage of theheated air and products of combustion between and over the top of theseveral retorts.

G is a flue through which the smoke passes from the furnace.

The retorts, as before stated, are oblong in shape, and are of thesamelength as the fur.- nace, so as to enable the opposite ends of the saidretorts to rest flush with or slightly beyond the front and rear wallsof the furnace. In these front and rear walls of the generator orfurnace are formed one or more openings, as the case may be, whichopenings are of the same height as the retorts, but slightly wider thanthe combined widths thereof, so as to enable the proper spaces to beleft between the torts need be made.

said retorts for the passage of the heated air and products ofcombustion. The ends of the retorts rest'in the said openings, and aresecured therein by the metallic plates H, which latter somewhat resemblein shape the divisionplate between the holes on top of an ordinarycooking-stove and greatly simplify the present method of removing theretort, which consists in taking them out through the top of thegenerator or tearing away the masonry front. The plates H are slightlylonger than the ends of the retorts, and are secured in position,respectively, to the front and rear walls of the generator by bolts orby any suitable means. The two side edges of the plates H conform inshape to the sides of the retorts, so as to fill up all the spacebetween them and cause them to bear firmly against the'sides of theopenings in the front and rear walls. By simply removing a plate H anytwo retorts can be taken out or turned without affecting the others.

In this construction of generator I have shown a bench of four retortsarranged in pairs. In this form two openings of the same size would hemade in the front and rear walls of the generator, into each of which isplaced a pair of retorts, held in place by four plates H, twoin frontand two behind. If it is only necessary that three retorts be used, onlyone opening in each wall of width sufficient for the three re- In thislatter construction four plates H would be required-two in front and twobehind. Instead of making one opening in the front and rear walls of-thegenerator answer for two or more retorts, a separate opening can be madefor each retort. In this instance the plates H would overlap or projectover the adjacent edges of the retorts and hold them firmly in positionwithout longitudinal movement, while the partition between two of theretorts would prevent them from moving laterally. In the firstconstruction' described the plates H also overlap the adjacent edges ofthe retorts and prevent all longitudinal as well as lateral movement.

My improvement is simple in construction, and by its use a great savingin retorts and connecting parts is obtained, as well as repairingexpenses to the general plant.

It is evident that changes in the construction and form of myimprovements can be resorted towithout departing from the spirit of myinvention, and hence I would have it understood that I do not limitmyself to the exact construction shown and described, but considermyself at liberty to make such changes as come within the spirit andscope of my invention.

I am aware that retorts have been construct ed and adapted to bereversed, so that as one side becomes clinkered and burned the retortmay be reversed and its opposite sides subjected to the direct action ofthe heat, and hence I make no broad claim to a reversible retort.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. A reversible gas-retort provided at each end with two openings,located at the top and bottom of the retort, all of said openings beingequal in size, in combination with plugs for closing either the upper orlower openings, substantially as set forth. V

'2. A reversible gas-retort provided at each end with two openings,located at the top and bottom of the retort,in combination with plugsfor closing the lower openings at each end of the retort, an oil-inletpipe communicating with the upper opening at one end of the retort and agas-outlet pipe communicating with the upper opening at the opposite endof the retort, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with a furnace having perforated walls, of tworeversible gas-retorts and a holding-plate constructed to overlap theadjacent edges of the retorts at their sides and partly encircle theirupper and lower sides, thereby serving to support the retorts and insure them against displacement, substantially as set forth. 1

In testimony whereof I have, signed this specification in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY D. FITCH.

- Witnesses:

F. WILSON, I G. J. EDMONDS.

